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Irish Beer for St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day: The most anticipated holiday for the beer consumer. The day calls for something Irish, and something authentic. There are a number of beers from Ireland, and your holiday can’t possibly be complete without enjoying one or all of the bona fide Irish brews available to you.

Almost everyone is familiar with Guinness, the most famous beer Ireland has to offer. For all you Guinness drinkers looking for a change of pace, look no further than Beamish, a favorite at the recent beer tasting at Binny’s in Willowbrook. A jet-black Irish dry stout, Beamish hails from Cork, Ireland. Other Irish dry stouts that earn high accolades are Murphy’s Irish Stout and Ohara’s Celtic Stout.

Besides being distinguished for their dry stouts, Ireland is acclaimed for their red ales. Smithwick’s is the most celebrated of this group, but there are some other fine examples of this style. Ohara’s Irish Red tops the list, with Murphy’s Irish Red being another solid one to try.

If you are in the mood for something lighter and sessionable, go with Harp Lager. Perhaps you desire a cream ale? Wexford Irish Cream Ale will fit the occasion perfectly.

All of these Irish beers are on sale throughout March at Binny’s, and all could potentially be the right choice to fulfill your St. Patrick’s day beer obligations. Not drinking any of these brews on St. Patrick’s day? Let us know what you’re washing your corned beef and cabbage down with.

One of my favorite drinks to enjoy over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday is an Irish Car Bomb. For those who are unfamiliar, I recommend you familiarize yourself with the #6 Manliest Drink in the World (http://www.metrowize.com/articles/top-10-manliest-drinks). To make a Car Bomb, grab a shot glass and fill half of it with Bailey’s Irish Cream and the other half with your favorite Irish whiskey then drop it into a pint glass filled a little under halfway with Guinness. Then chug like you never chugged before (speed is important here because it will begin to curdle if not drank quickly). My other favorite St. Pattys Day drink is the green beer the good people at Miller distribute to bars all across Chicagoland in celebration of this epic holiday. Smithwicks is a great Irish beer but for some reason has a bacon-y aftertaste to me..?